Bale-buckle



H. l?. cmwaiss.

BME BUCKLE. v- APFL'ICATION FILED 056,15. ISI-6'.

1,366,357. Patented Jan.l25, 1921.

ATTORN EY HENDERSON VPfGHIIILDVRLEISS, 'OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

BALE-BUCKLE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented'Jran; 25, 1921.

Application led December 15, 1916. Serial No. 137,210.V

To all 'whom t may concern:

lie it know that l, Hinvnnnson l). Grinnonnss, a. citizen of the United i. tetes, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State oi rTennessee, have invented a new and usei'ul Bale-Buckle, Voit which the following is 'a specilication.

This invention has reference to bale buckles, and its object is to provide a bale buckle of simple and ei'iicient construction which be made 'from heavy gage hard wire. l l

ln accordance with the .inifention the buckle betoi'e being pulled is ot approximately rectangular s iupe slightly narrower at the entering end than at the opposite end,

I and with theentering end formed of overlapping parte to be inclosed by the correspondingloop of the bale band with the `parts brought into alinement from their normall overlapping. relation by the bull 'exerted by the bale band under the expansive :torce of the bale. rlhe construction is such that in the pulled buckle the two members oi the ente ing end bar oi". the buckle have their meeting ends, which are lbeveled and initially overlapped brought together. with the entering end or the buckle sulciently spread to permit the valineIne'nt-oiC the two parts the enteringbar7 whereby vthe beveled ends are wholly housed within the correspoi ting loop oft theV bale b2 i argl the bale adjacent objects are protected, while the loopof the band is iirmiy .pu od lthroughout its entire width, thus it in any tendency oi tearing the band. inner corne'rs'oiA the buckle may be ymade substantially square or they may be rounded or beveled, in which latter case the pulled buckle tends to crimp the opposite edges of the band where it encircles thebars ol the buckle, and thus resist any tendency or the band to render. Y The invention willv be best' 'from a consideration of the ollowi g detailed descriptiomtaken in connection with the accompanying drawings orming'part of this speciiication, with the 'further understanding thatwhilethe drawings show a practical iorm of the invention, 'the latter is not confinedto any strict conformity with theVv showing 'of the drawings, butmay be changed and Y modified so long as such changes and modifications comewithinthe .scope ofthe appended-claims,

of two members 4,

understood.

ln the drawings Figure 1 is 'a face view of a buckle con.- structed in accordance with the' invention. showing the buckle in its initial condition,

that is, before being subjected to the pull of the bale band.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the entering end of the buckle. V

Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig. 1 but showing a slightly different construction of the buckle and also showing the relative positions of the buckle and entering loop of the bale band before the buckle is pulled.

Fig. i is a view of the buckle of Fig. 3 after being pulled, and showing the entering loop of the bale bandin cross-section.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a buckle made of flat metal.

Fig. 7 is 'a Vsection onl the line 7-7 oi: Fig. 6.

. rlhe severalbuckles shown in the drawing are illustrated approximately full size. Each buckle is made of a single piece of wire of heavy gage, say, No. 2 gage, and of a quality of wire known as hard wire, wherefore the buckle is capable of resisting heavy strains without bending materially from the initial condition. Y c

The buckles shown in the drawings are in most part alike, only in certain details which will be specifically referred to, wherefore a general description of one buckle applies to all the buckles shown, and

aside from the speciiic differences to be hereinafter de .ibed,V they description of one buckle-applies 'to all of'them.

Each buckle comprises an end bar 1, two side bars 2, 3, and another end bar made up 5 constituting projections of the 'end bars 2 and 3, respectively. The buckle is approximately rectangular, and it may with advantage be made somewhat wider than long, the length of the buckle being measured with respect to the distance from one `end Aharto. the other, including the endfbars, while the width is'measured with respect to the distance from one vside bar to the other including the side bars. Expressions of position have to do with the buckle as applied to a bale, and in such case the usual position is thatv the end bar 1 is uppermost, the buckle being applied to one end of thebale band at the bench with such longer vthan the extension 5 this is that the beveled ends end encircling the bar 1, andthe lbuckle hangs pendently from the bale band when in position to receive the other end or" the loop ot the bale'band, which end loop is indicated at 6 in Figs. 8, e and 5.

yThe extension e constituting part oit' the entering end bar ot the buckle is somewhat constituting the other member ot the entering end ot the buckle, and these end bars terminate in beveled iree ends 7, 8, respectively. ln the initial condition 'the two members i and 5 are apart'at their free or beveled ends, so that the beveled portions Y and 8 are laterally separated with respect to the general plane ot' laickle.V Moreover, the side bars 2 and' 3 have the ends remote from the end bar l approaching, so thatl in the initial condition the buckle is narrower at the entering end than at the other end. The result of Z and 8 overlap, but still are spread apart laterally ot the buckle lto an extent providing a mouth9 sutlicientlywide to permit the threading ot' the loop 6 ot the band into the buckle, or the threading of the buckle on to the loop G of the band.

Lustomarily a bale band is about one inch V'in width, and in conformity with such bands the interior oi" the buckle is about one inch across at its widest point, but is less than one inch'across the entering end the differ- .ence being about one-sixteenth or an inch y, more or less, and this represents about the extent ot overlapping ot the beveled ends 'T and S at the entering end et' the buckle. rl`hese beveled ends are arranged 1n facing relation, so that when the members if Vand of the entering` end of the'buckle are brought together to make the beveled ends 'e' and 8 meet, these ends may slide one on the other until the beveledvfaces corneinto tace contact throughout substantially their whole area. When this occurs the two members 4L and .t5-are in substantial aliuement, and then the entering end bar made up ofthe two vmembers l and 5 is et substantially the same length as the other end bar i, the entering end of the buckle having widened in the plane of the buckle suiiiciently to make the Vdistance between the side bars at the entering endor" the buckle the same as at the other end ot the buckle, wherefore the buckle'when spread to the extent stated is Y practically v rectangular with the sideV bars about parallel, instead of approaching to- I ward the` entering'end; Vas is the case when 'll in Figs. 3, and il, such corners causing aV l the buckle is iny its initial condition.

The buckle may have all the inner corners angular, as indicated at l0 in Fig. l, or the inner corners where the bers l, 2 and 3 Iioin be rounded or beveled, as indicated at slight crimping of the sides of thel corre- 'spondin'g'loop of the bale band when sub- Vother with the members niade of heavy gagernetal 'of the bale band than jeeted to the expansive force of the bale. This arrangement of the inner corners of the buckle is they only distinguishing feature or the showing of the diilerent i'igures of drawing.

D u c Y lWhen the band 1s applied to the compressed bale the buckle is already tast to one the entering end in embracing relation tov the entering end bar made up of the menibers 4l and 5, the band being' somewhatwider than the space between the side bars 2 and 3 at the entering end, the band and buckle are at a slight angleV one to the other, as indicated in F Then when the band is put under strain due to the expansive :torce of the released bale, the buckle is spread in a direction tolseparate the side bars 2 ano 3 and at the same time the members 1i and 5 of the entering end bar of the buckle are caused to approach in a direction perpendicular to the plane olf the buckle, so that the beveled faces 7 and 8 seat one against the land 5 'in substantial alinement and imprisoned in the loop 6 of the bale band. The result is that the entering end ofthe buekle'rmly holds the band throughout its entire width with any tendency of the buckle to spread open nulli- .tied by the` inherent strength of tbebuekle. This is due tol the fact that thebuckle is and the strain, being brought upon the full length' of the entering end-*bar with theloop oi the band closely encircling the members'oi the enter- .end bar, resists the tendency, ir" preset, ot greater-spreading apart of the side bars 2 and, or of bending of the members and 5 where joining the side bars 2 and It will be observed that the member 5 is shorter than the member 4;, so Vthat the mouth 9 is to one side Voit the longitudinal center line of the buckle. This is advantageous in facilitating the threading of theV loop 6 into the buckle and permitting the full introduction ot the yloop without so great aturning of the buckle as would be necessary ir the mouth@ were midway of tl e width ofthe buckle.V Y

ln Figs4 6 and 7 there shown a' buckle substantially the same in size, shape `and characteristics as lthe buckles of Figs. l. to 5, except that the buckle is made of flat metal. Such structure has ocrnin advantages in that it is more resistant'to the null N round Vwire buckles` and Vmay be readily punehedfor stamped from sheet metal ot' suitable gage,. which Y without sacrice' 'of the eliiciency or"A the zoV Ymetal buckles as heretofore made.

Y associated buckle may be somewhat lighter than vsheet bale Vband 6 is introduced into the buckle .throughY the mouth 9 it is necessary to rotatethe buckle Vfor a vshort distance to accommodate the bale band, since the distance between the mouth 9 and the side bar, say, the side bar 2 toward which the loop oi the bale band is moved, is less than the width oi the bale band. Consequently, in order to get the bale band entirely within the buckle, one side of the loop must be moved toward the corner produced by the junction 'of the bars l and 2 of Fig. l and associated figures, or l and 21 of TEig. .6. vThe width 'of the interior of the buckle adjacent to the Vend bar l is about equal to or small fractional portion ofV an inch greater than the width of the bale band, whilethe width of the entering end bar of the buckle between the side bars isor may be a small fractional portion of an inehless than the width of the bale band, although under some circumstances, and vespecially in the case of the flat niet-al buckle ofA Fig; the V.two members of the enterin end bar of the buckle need not .actually overlap, although it is preferred that they should initially overlap. Then overlapping't -e two members el? the enterl l Vbetrof the buckle spread when bend is putiunderjstrain, and the when roin'the compress,

.dmembersr o'l' tA entering e with ther ends actually or sul so that in end 'to end engagement,

luickle of Fig. l and. associated The height ot the interior the buckle of 'ifi 6 is' less than 1Lhe wulth of th buckle,

ie same in Fig. l and associated figures, o that when the band is introduced into the buckle and one edge of theloop ofthe band is engaged in the interior corner of the buckle where the end bar la and side bar 2a join, the other edge of the loop of the band will have entered the buckle beyond the tree end of the member 5a of the entering end of the buckle; then be rotated about the loop of the band to an extent as great as half a revolution, and hence when the expansive force of the bale acts upon the bale band and buckle the introduced loop of the band must necessarily 's pulled by 'the expansive force of v However, the buckle cannotV lind lodgment about ther entering end bar made up oi themembers la and 5a.

Furthermore, the width or" the buckle is nowhere greater than approximately the width of the bale band, terior width of the buckle at the entering end is' a small Yfractional portion of an inch less than the width of the band; that is, considering the band as an inch wide, the

lbuckle at the entering end may have an interior' width of about tiiiteen-sixteenths of an inch. T he height of the buckle, that is, the distance between the end bars, is always less than the width of the bale band, although the diiterence need Vbe only such as to positively prevent the turning of the buckle on they bale band for a half revolution. The interior width of the buckle, that is, the distance Vb fween 'the side bars, never materially excesos the width of the bale band and is always preferably less than the l.vidth of the bale band, especially at the entering end, so that when the band and buckle are sub]ected to the expansive force of the bale, the bale band will always eX-` tend from one 'side bar of the buckle to the other, vand preferably then 'subjected to forces tending to reduce the width of the bale band, whereby the band is tightly gripped at the edges.

By this arrangement the bale band when under the pull of the bale released from the compress, engages the entering end of the buckle throughout the entire width of the bale band and when the members of the entering end bar overlap, the trictional engagement between the `bale band and the buckle is increased to an extent corresponds ing to the amount of overlapping. This fea ture aids in reve-ntine` renderinv of the f5 v .n b l ha nd, prevents tearing or cutting ot the b o ino which Jfrequently happens Where the mouth the bue rlc so spreads as to u t a leave a material where the bale band 1s introduced, and liability of pulling out or` breaking the buckleis practically avoided.

By making the interior of the buckle of less height than the width of the bale band and of a width at'its widest point approxi- Vmately the Asame as ythat of the bale band,

and, furthermore, by placing the mouth at the entering end of the buckle to one side of the longitudir'ial centerline ofV the buckle,

the-loop of the; band may lbe'introduced into the buckle through a mouth represented by laterally spread overlapping members, and the bale band be then positively directed into edge engagement with the opposite side bar from that toward which the band is moving on being introduced into the buckle, so that the band will certainly house the entire length of the entering end bar and engage the latter through substantially the ull width of the band, or even to a greater extent than the full Width of the band.

i -What is claimed is 1. A bale buckle, comprising a single piece ot nietal formed into an end bar, two side barsand another end bar, constituting the entering end of the buckle, the last-inenltioned end bar consisting of inturned prolongations 'of the side bars, with said prolongations appi'oaifhing into initially overlapping spaced relationV on opposite sides of the horizontal plane of the buckle, the width of the buckle at the entering end being less than the width oit a balel band, whereby when strain is placed upon the bale band,

und.'

Vthe ends of said prolongations are brought into substantial alineinent with each other. 2. A bale buckle coni )risineq a sinole ieee n .7 b 23 1 of nietal. rorined into an end bar, two siue i bars, and another end bar, constituting the 'ofV the horizontal'plane of the buckle, and

the overlapping ends whereV presented toward each other being beveled and arranged in facing relation, the width of the buckle at the entering end being less than the width ot' a 1 bale band, whereby when strain is placed upon the bale band the ends of said prolongations are brought into substantial alinement with each other.

3. A bale buckle, comprising an end bar, two straight side bars permanently joined to the end bar at one ot' tieir ends and approaching each other at their other ends, and another end bar consisting of inturned prolongations oitlie side bars at other ends and coifistituting` the entering` end ot the buckle, said prolongations approaching into initially overlapping spaced relation on opposite sides ol the horisontal plane of the` buckle, thereby forming an end bar of less length than the first named end bar and making the entering end of the buckle of less width than a bale band, and said prolongations where overlapping being of reduced width, whereby when strain is placed upon the bale band, the said prolongations are moved into substantial alinement and di-` rectly overlapped.

4. A bale buckle comprising a single piece ofmetal formed into an end bar, two side f bars and another end bar constituting the entering end of the buckle, the second end bar consisting of prolongations of the side bars initially laterally spaced at their free ends,'the height Vof the buckle between the` combined length of the prolongations forining the second end bar substantially equaling the length oi the first end bar, the interior height the buckle being les than the width of the bale band for which the buckle is designed and the interiorY width of the buckle being at no point greater than the length of the first-named end bar between the side bars.- Y

6. A bale buckle comprising a single piece of metal forming an end bar, two side bars and another end bar with the second-named Y end Ybar constituting the entering end of the is designed and the interiorV width of the buckle being atl no point greater than the y length of the first-named end bar between the side bars,ythe prolongations forming the entering end-bar initially overlapping and the distance between the side bars at the en- Y HENDERSON P. CHILDRESS.

Witnesses:

J. C. DEAN, i

C. A. TINDALL. 

